Game device



Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME DEVICE Albert P. Rippenbein, New York, N. Y.

Application August 17, 1945, Serial No. 610,903

This invention relates to a game device of the general type in which play thereof comprises the moving of playing pieces of more than One class to established positions. Specifically the invention is directed to a game device by the use of which a single player may test his'skill, or acquire skill, in those games of this type which are normally played by two or more players.

There are a number of widely played games which depend upon the skilful maneuverin of playing pieces of more than one class to one of a number of fixed or predesignated playing positions. Common examples of such games are chess, in which each player is provided with playing pieces of more than one class, and checkers, in which each player maneuvers a single class of playing pieces, the playing pieces assigned to each player being of a diiferent class in the sense of this invention in that they are identified with that player as distinguished from playing pieces identified with his actual or simulated opponent. Other examples of such, games are games of naval maneuver, which are representative of a large number of games less frequently played than chess or checkers and in which the success of a player depends upon his skill in maneuverin the playing pieces from one position to another. Most of such games are not adapted for play by a single player, and therefore those who would improve their skill, or wish amusement at such games, must await times when an opponent is available. Moreover, the novice is often deprived of occasion to p ay ainst the experienced player.

The object of this invention is to provide a device by which games of this general type may be played by a single player under such circumstances that during play the skill of the player is tested against the predetermined game of a theoretical opponent. To this end the game device of this invention, which is for use where playing pieces of more than one class are employed, comprises means defining a number of playing stations disposed in a playing area, a selecting station at which are located terminals of a plurality of circuits, means operable at each playing station to there connect at least two of said circuits when a piece is played at that station, and means operable at the selecting station to periodically connect selected circuits in accordance with a predetermined pattern, which pattern represents the game which should be played or is best played against the known game of the absent or theoretical opponent.

For the purpose of more specifically describ- 8 Claims. (Cl. 35-8) ing the invention, its objects, features and advantages, I have chosen as an example of a game which may be played on a game device embodying this invention the widely played game of chess, and the accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention adapted for the play of chess by a. single player against the predetermined and recorded game of an' absent opponent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of a chessboard and portions of the equipment auxiliary thereto forming a device embodying the principles of this invention, the top surface of the board being cut away in part to show underlying details;

Fig; 2 is a side elevational view of a chess piece adapted for play at the board shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa bottom view of the chess piece shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the underlying portion of the chessboard;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, in perspective, of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken at the section line 6-6 as indicated on Fig, 1;

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line 1-1 in Fig. 6w-ith chess pieces in position; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the selecting film.

Referring to these drawings, in which like numbers designate like parts, the playing area is defined by the surface I0, which has the general appearance of a chess or checker board, except that in each square or playing station there is provided an opening II to receive the specially constructed base of a playing piece. Under the playing surface I 0 is the board base i2. Side pieces such as 53 connect surface l0 and board base i2 to form a box-like structure thereby providing a space between the surface and the board base and likewise lending a finished appearance to the device.

Located on board base i2 and in registry with each opening H is a series of terminal points, the point i3, which serves at each playing station as a terminal for a circuit characteristic of that station, and the sixteen points, 20, 2|, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21, 29, 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34 and 35, each of which serves as a terminal for a circult characteristic of one of the sixteen standard chess playing pieces which are to be used by the player (see Fig. 4).

The selecting station may take various forms but, as here shown, consists of a base It attached to the box-like chessboard structure and con- 3 structed to hold in one plane the terminals ll,

of which there are sixty-four each representing a terminal of a circuit characteristic of one of the sixty-four playing squares on the surface it, and the terminals 20', 21', 22', 23', 2|, 2!, 25', 21' 2|, 2!, 30', ii, 32', 33', II and 35', each of which is a terminal on one of the sixteen circuits which are characteristic of the sixteen playing pieces to be used by the player. The base It is so constructed that each terminal held therein is electrically insulated from every other terminal. Each selecting station terminal I! is connected to a playing station terminal it, thus forming a circuit characteristic of a playing station, which circuit terminates at that station and at the selecflng station. Each of the selecting station terminals 20' through 35', inclusive, is one terminal on a circuit which terminates at or as a terminal point located at each playing station. Thus the terminal point 20 at each playing station is connected by circuit 20" (see Fig. 4) to selecting station terminal 20', terminal point 21 at each playing station is connected by circuit 2| to selecting station terminal 2|, etc. The sixteen circuits 2|" through 85", inclusive, thus serve in the device shown to connect the sixteen terminals at the selecting station (1. e., terminals 2i through II. inclusive) with the corresponding terminals at each playing station, each of these circuits passing through all playing stations, thus obviating the necessity for sixteen circuits separately passing from the sixteen playing piece terminals at each playing station to the sixteen playing piece terminals at the selecting station.

Also located at the selecting station is the hinged contact plate I! which carries the separate metallic contact surfaces It and I1, each of which is insulated from the other. This plate II is so constructed that when it is lowered and latched in the position shown in Fig. 6, the surface I l will make contact with all of the terminal points If unless some of such points are insulated against such contact, while the surface il will make contact with all of the terminal points 2| through 35', inclusive. unless some of these points are insulated against such contact.

An electrical connection 42 connects surface It to surface I! (see Fig. and included in the open circuit, consisting of the surface IS, the wire 42 and the surface I1, is a sensory signal 40 and source of power II. A selecting mechanism adapted to selectively insulate predetermined terminal points from contact with the surface it and the surface ll consists, in the form here shown, of a. roll of paper or other insulating film is (see'Figs. 5, 6 and 8) which is adapted to be initially mounted on one of the cylinders It and, during the course of play, rolled to the other cylinder It. The cylinders II are rotatably mounted on either side at the base It and are so positioned that the roll of film passing from one cylinder to another will lie ina plane immediately above the terminallwints located in the base It.

The chess pieces used by the player are constructed'as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 7. Each chess piece "3, in the illustrated instance one of the pawns, is mounted on a base 44 shaped to fit into any or the Playing surface openings I I. The base ll and the opening H are so shaped that it is impossible to insert the piece except in one position, thus insuring that the terminal pins 46 and 41, which depend from the base of the piece, will -ma.ke proper contact with the terminal points.

These terminal pins 46 and 41 are electrically coninto registry with the base ll of such length andis so located on the base 44 as to contact a terminal It whenever the piece is inserted in the playing opening ll. Terminal pin 41 is of such length and is so located as to contact that terminal (of the terminals 20 through 35. inclusive) at the playing station which is a, part of the circuit characteristic of the playing piece of which terminal 41 is a part. Thus, if the illustrated pawn is represented by the characteristic circuit which includes playing station terminal 33, connection 33" and selecting station terminal 33', the terminal pin 41 will contact playing station terminal 33 whenever the playing piece of which it is a part is played at any of the sixtyfour playing stations.

The opponents playing pieces are similar in construction to the pieces of the player except that the terminalpins 4B, 41 are eliminated (as shown in Fig. '7) or the connection 45 therebetween is eliminated so as to avoid closing a circuit between any two terminals when the piece is played at a playing station.

It is the purpose of this device to test the skill of a player against the game of a theoretical opponent, the skill of the player being measured by a comparison of the player's moves with the moves of a preplayed game against said theoretical opponent. Thus the function of the pre-prepared roll of insulating film I9 is to select at the selecting station the moves which should be made by the player, and the function of the remainder of the device is to inform the player when his move corresponds with the move that has been indicated at the selecting station by the pre-prepared selecting film I9. For convenience, each roll of film l9 may be divided by visual markings into separate frames, each frame representing, by means of openings punched in the him (see Fig. 8), the playing station and the playing piece to be played at that station. Thus in the game described, as each frame of the roll I9 is brought the selecting device, it will insulate from the surfaces It and I! on the plate I! all of the terminal points except one of the terminal points It and One of the terminal points 20' through 35', inclusive. It is also convenient, in order to advise the player as to the moves which are to be made by his theoretical opponent, to mark the outer surface of the film l9 so that as the player brings a frame of the film into registry with the selecting station, a

mark on the outer surface oi. the filmappears at the next move a convenient point, such as over one of the cylinders is (see Fig. 5), to advise the player as to of his theoretical opponent.

At the start of the game the player sets the chess pieces, his own and those of his opponent, in starting position. He then partially closes the plate l5 so that he has no view of the surface of the film is, and then rotates the cylinders It to bring the first frame of the film l9 into registry with the selecting station. He then latches the plate II in closed position (Fig. 6), thereby causing contact of surfaces i6 and H with such of the selecting station terminals as are not insulated from such contact by the film. The player then observes from the inscription on .the outer surface of the him the first move of his theoretical opponent. The player then moves one of the opponent's pieces to the playing station indicated and is then ready to make his first move. As above mentioned, the frame of the film is, which is now between the plate is and the terminals on the selecting station, is provided with two openings, one allowing a contact between terminal is and surface It and the other allowing contact between surface I! and one of the terminals 20 through 85', inclusive. Thus, for example, if the. proper answering move of the player to his theoretical opponent's move is the king's pawn to the king's pawn square (4), then the film is is provided with openings which allow contact of the terminal i 3' which represents king's pawn square (4) with surface i6 and contact with the terminal of the circuit which represents the kings pawn with surface IT. This results in establishing a circuit which includes terminal I; and king's pawn square (4), thence through the connection to the corresponding terminal II at the selecting station, thence through surface It, wire 42, surface ll to terminal 33', which represents the king's pawn, and thence through connection 33" to terminal 33 located at king's pawn square (4). It will'be apparent that if at this time the player should select his proper move and play the kings pawn at king's pawn square (4), the result will be that the circuit is I completed by contact of the interconnected terminal pins 46 and 41 with terminals i3 and 33, respectively, at that square, and the sensory signal 40 will indicate that the player has made the proper move. If, however, the player fails to make the proper move and, instead, moves the same chess piece to another square or a diflerent chess piece to the same square, he will fail to contact the terminals of the same circuits which are contacted at the selecting station by the surfaces It and i1 and, consequently, the

signal circuit will remain open, and the lack of sensory signal will indicate to the player that he has made a wrong move.

After each move has been finally properly executed, the player breaks the signal circuit by unlatching the plate I5 and then moves the next frame of fihn is into registry with the selecting station, whereupon the player again latches the plate l5, observes and makes the indicated move of his opponent's piece and again attempts to make a proper move in response to the opponents move until the signal again indicates the correctness of the play and the success of the player.

It will be observed that a device such as that illustrated and described as exemplary of this invention may be adapted to any game of maneuver involving a selection of predetermined stations to which playing pieces are moved and may be subjected to many refinements in physical form without departing from the principles of this invention.

A device embodying the invention may be accompanied by auxiliary devices which may add to the entertainment or convenience of the player, such as, for instance, a counter device for electrically indicating the total number of moves made by the player in his attempt to play a perfect game against the predetermined game of his theoretical opponent. Thus, referring to Figs. 1 and 5, a standard counter device C adapted to be operated by electrical impulses may be mounted on the edge of the playing surface and connected in a circuit which presents the terminals 48 and 49 on one side of each playing opening Ii. In such case a metal insert 50 is positioned on the side of the base 44 oi each of the players playing pieces (see Fig. 2) to contact terminals 48 and 49, thereby closing the circuit and actuating the counter whenever a players piece is played at any playing station and regardless of whether or not the player has made the proper play which at that point has already been selected by the selecting device.

Having thus described. my invention. and one embodiment thereof, I claim:

1. In a game device for use with playing pieces of more than one class, in combination, means defining a number of playing stations disposed in a playing area, a plurality of circuits terminating at each playing station and including a circuit characteristic of said station and a circuit characteristic of each class of playing piece permissibly moved to said station in the course of play, a selecting station at which each of said circuits terminates, means operable at said selecting station to selectively connect at least one circuit characteristic of a playing position with at least one circuit characteristic of a class of playing piece and means adapted to operate at a chosen playing station to selectively connect at said station the circuit characteristic of the station with the circuit characteristic of the class of piece selected for movement to said station, and

a sensory signal actuated by the connection of said circuits.

2. In a game device for use with playing pieces of more than one class, in combination, means defining a number of playing stations disposed in a playing area, a plurality of circuits terminating at each playing station and including a circuit characteristic of said station and a circuit char- 'acteristic of each class of playing piece permissibly moved to said station in the course of play, a selecting station at which each of said circuits terminates, means operable at said selecting station to selectively connect at least one circuit characteristic of a playing position with at least one circuit characteristic of the class of playing piece and a signal device associated with said circuits and operable to indicate the connection at at least one playing station of the circuits selectively connected at said selecting station.

3. In a checkerboard game for use by a single player, in combination, a playing surface defining playing stations, playing pieces of more than one class, a circuit characteristic of each station and terminating at one end at said station and at the other end in a station selecting area, circuits characteristic of each class of playing piece terminating at one end at each of said stations and terminating at the other end in a piece selecting area and selecting means operable in said selecting areas to selectively connect a circuit terminal in one area with a circuit terminal in the other area, said playing pieces being adapted when moved to any station to there connect the terminal of the circuit characteristic of said station with the terminal of the circuit characteristic of said piece, and an electrical sensory signal adapted to be actuated when a playing piece connects the selected circuits.

4. In a checkerboard game for use by a single player, in combination, a playing surface defining playing stations, playing pieces of more than one class, a circuit characteristic of each station and terminating at one end at said station and at the other end in a station selecting area, circuits characteristic of each class of playing piece terminating at one end at each of said stations and terminating at the other end in a piece selecting area and selecting means operable in said selecting areas to selectively connect a circuit terminal in one area with a circuit terminal in 7 terminal of the circuit characteristic of said station with the terminal of the circuit characteristic of said piece, and a signal device operable when the terminals connected at a playing station are the same circuits connected at the selecting areas.

5. In a game device typified by a playing surface defining a number of stations and laying pieces of more than one class adapted for movement to said stations, in combination, a separate circuit characteristic of each station and comprising a terminal disposed at said station and a terminal dis-posed in a station selecting area, separate circuits characteristic of each class of playing piece each of such circuits comprising a terminal disposed at each playing station to which said piece may be moved and a terminal disposed at a piece selecting area, a selecting means operating in said areas to select at least one terminal in one area for electrical connection with at least one terminal in another area, means for electrically connecting the selected terminals, playing pieces adapted to be positioned at said playing stations and to there connect the terminal characteristic of the class of said piece, and a sensory signal operable when the circuits connected by a playing piece correspond to the circuits connected at the selecting areas.

6. In a game device adapted for use by a single player, in combination, a number of playing stations, playing pieces of more than one class adapted to be placed at said stations, a selecting station comprising the terminals of a plurality of circuits more than one of which also terminates at each of said playing stations, means operable at each playing station to connect at least two of said circuits when a piece is played at said station, and means prepared in accordance with a predetermined pattern operable at the selecting station to connect selected circuits and signal means electrically operable by a combination of said circuits to indicate that the same circuits connected at the selecting stations have been connected by the player's choice of a playing station whereby the skill of said player is compared with said predetermined pattern.

7. In a chess game device adapted for play by a single player, in combination, a chess board defining chess positions, circuits characteristic of each position, each such circuit terminating at one of said positions and at a circuit selecting position, circuits characteristic of each type of chess piece each such circuit terminatin at each of said chess positions and likewise terminatng at the circuit selecting position, means operable at said selecting position to selectively connect one circuit characteristic of a chess position with a circuit characteristic of a type of chess piece, means operable by the player at each chess position to there connect the terminal of the circuit characteristic of that position with the terminal of the circuit characteristic oi the type of piece moved to that position, and a sensory signal adapted to be operated when the player connects at a playing position the same circuits selectively connected at the selecting position.

8. A chess game device adapted to test the skill of a single player, in combination, a chess board defining conventional playing positions, a set of player's pieces for moves by said'player, a set of opponents pieces for movement by said player, means to inform said player as to the movement of the opponents pieces for each succeeding play, a circuit characteristic of each playing position terminating at said position and likewise terminating at a circuit selecting position, circuits characteristic of each type of the player's pieces terminating at each playing position and likewise terminating at the circuit selecting position, means operable at the circuit selecting position to connect selected circuits and circuit selecting means adapted to be operated at the circuit selecting position to select a circuit characteristic of a predetermined playing Position and a circuit characteristic of a predetermined type of player's piece to be played at said playing position, means associated with each 01 the player's pieces to connect, at a playing position selected by said player, the circuit characteristic of that position with the circuit characteristic of the type of piece moved thereto, and a signal device electrically operable to inform the player when the player's piece has connected the same circuits at the playing position which were previously se lectively connected at the selecting station.

ALBERT P. RIPPENBEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 529,913 Howell Nov. 27, 1894 927,583 Nelson July 13, 1909 1,043,318 Jackson Nov. 5, 1912 1,221,493 Whitaker Apr. 3, 1917 1,564,138 Rowland Dec. 1, 1925 1,647,276 Ortiz Nov. 1, 1927 1,688,935 McChcsney Oct. 23, 923 1,730,640 Brownell Oct. 8, 1929 2,298,456 Benko Oct. 13, 1942 

